Clothes-drier.



E. A. THURNTON.

CLOTHES DRIER. APPLIUATION FILED 1221.25.1905.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST ARTHUR THORNTON, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

CLOTHES-DRIER.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application flled September 25, 1905. Serial N0. 279.958.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ERNEST ARTHUR THORNTON, a citizen ol the UnitedStates, and a resident oi Omaha, in the county ol Douglas and State olNebraska, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Driel', oi which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to clothes-driers of style capable olisuspensionfor service from a stable support; and has for its object to providenovel details oi construction for a suspensible clothes-drier which arevery simple, easily assembled into usable form as a drier, capable oireceiving adjustable suspension from the ceiling of a .room or otheroverhead support, so that the drier may be raised or lowered at will,and Iurthermore, that are adapted for quick detachment irom each otherso as to permit said parts of the drier to be placed in Contact andwrapped together, forming a compact bundle for storage out of the way,when the drier is to be removed irom its support. i

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts as is hereinafter described and dened in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters ol reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view oi the improved clothesdrier suspendedl'or service, the lowered position thereior when adjusted to permit thesuspension oi material to be dried being represented by full lines andthe elevated position thereof by broken lines g Fig. 2 is an enlargedreversed plan view of the drier-arms and their central supportinghead-block; Fig. 3 'is a transverse sectional view of details oi thedrier proper, taken substantially on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is aperspective view ol a center block lor the bracket frame that supportsthe drier frame, radial arms extending irom the center block being shownin part by dotted lines Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of themeans ior supporting the drier irame pendent l'rom a ceiling or likesupport; and Fig. 6 is a sectional side view ol' a swivelingsheave-block employed, and a portion of the improved drier devicesecured thereto by means of a screw-eye.

In the drawings, 1() represents a block of wood or metal that may be oiany suitable lorm and dimensions, having its normally upper surfacegrooved7 said grooves crossing each other at a right angle, providingthe channels rz and b, the latter having double the depth oi the channela. ln the channels a and b two similar hangerbars are embedded, which,ol course, cross each other at a right angle and have lapped engagementwith each other at their longitudinal centers, thus extending foursimilar arms l1. radially from the block 10 at equal distances apart attheir outer ends.

As shown in Fig. 5, a hanger-bolt 12 is eut with a coarse thread c atand near one end for screwing into Wood, and a machine cut thread c/ isformed on the opposite end oi the same. The threaded end c is screwedinto a ceiling A, penetrating a solid portion thereof, such as a joistor like timber A that is indicated in transverse section in said figure.i

The hanger-bars that constitute the arms 11 are periorated centrally inalinement with a similar perforation d in the center blocklO, and uponthe depending portion of the bolt 12 a washer e is strung that seatsupon the ceiling A; then the arms 11 are engaged with said bolt, thatpasses thence down through the perforated lower portion of the centerblock 10 and through a washer f thereon, a nut 13, that is screwed uponthe threaded projecting lower portion of the hanger bolt, serving, whenproperly adjusted, to hold the arms and center block securely upon theWall A, and at the `saine time permit rotation oi the arms.

The clothes-drier proper comprises a hub 14 that is cylindrical, andupon the hub, near the normally lower end thereof, a radial flange-likeenlargement 14L is formed, as appears in Fig. 3. Below the radial4flange 14*l a centrally-apertured clamping plate 15, having a circularedge, is mounted upon a depending' end portion of the hub 14. Upon themain or upper portion oi' the hub 14 another clamping plate 16 ismounted, the hub passing loosely through a central opening of circularform in this plate, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plates 15 and 16are secured upon the radial iiange 14a by aplurality of bolts 1.7 andnuts f/ thereon.

Upon the circular periphery of the upper clamping plate 16 a ring-likeflange 161L is formed or secured, and is thus disposed concentric withthe hub 14, it extending down sufliciently to dispose the lower edgethereof in the same plane with the lower surface of the clamping plate15. In the 'peripheral flange 16a a plurality of spaced openings g areformed, these openings, of equal dimensions, each having a rectangulardefining edge for the reception of a respective one of a number ofradial arms 18, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The arms 18 are ofconsiderable length and may taper somewhat from one end to theother,their end portions that enter the openings g beingneatly fitted therein,and when in place abut at their inner extremities against the hub 14, asshown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 2 and 3 there is shown an annular liange h that is formed uponthe lower side of the clamping plate 16 at a suitable distance from theperipheral fiange 16, and in the upper surface of each arm 18 a notch isformed wherein the annular iiange is seated and fits neatly, thisengagement being effected after all the arms are inserted previous tothe seating ofthe plate 16 upon the radial flange 14a.

It will be seen that the Clamping adjustment oi the bolts 17 and nuts ffwill secure the arms 18 immovably upon the central hub 14 and clampingplates 15 and 16,

said arms affording support for clothing or other fabric which is to behung up for free exposure to the air to ventilato and dry the goods,such support being available after the hub, plates and arms aresuspended by means that will now be desciibed.

1n a central bore in the hub 14 a hanger-bolt 14b is fitted, which isheaded at one end, and provided with a nut i or other securing means, atthe opposite end thereof which as shown in Fig. 3, may be threaded andproject above the upper end of the hub. Upon the projecting upperportions of the bolt 141 two similar hanger-bars 19 are mounted anddisposed at right angles with each other, said bars being of an equallength with the hanger-bars forming the arms 11. Above the bars 19 awasher t and the nut i' are mounted on the bolt end 14", and the nut issciewed on the end of the bolt, so as to clamp the bars f1.9 looselyupon the hub 14, thus permitting the arms to rotate on the bolt. A crosspin may be substituted for the nut i.

Upon each of the radial arms 11, near their outer ends, a sheave block1n. is loosely secured, and the means of attachment is a swivelingconnection, as shown for one block in Fig. (i, consisting of a screw-eyebolt m/ that is hooked into an eye on a swivel bolt m2, held to rotatein the top of the block m.

Assuming that the head block 10 and hanger arms l.1 are secured inproper position on a ceiling' A, as indicated in Figs. fl. and 5, thehanger-bars 19 are therewith connected by four cords 20, as shown inFig. 1. Each cord or small rope 20 is secured by one end upon an end oia respective bar 19, and thence is extended upward to engage the sheaveblock m immediately above said bar 19, over the sheave of which it ispassed, and thence is extended horizontally to have its remaining endsecured upon a union ringl n. It will be noted in Fig. 1 that each cordor rope 2() is extended from a sheave block m directly toward and intoengagement with the ring n, and upon said ring is also secured one endof a draft rope 20fL which is extended from the union ring to engage aswiveling sheave block o similar to the one shown in Fig. 6. The sheaveblock o is held by a screw-eye or equivalent means upon a side wall orother stable support at a convenient point near the drier, and from saidblock the rope 20u hangs pendent alongside oi the wall for convenientmanipulation.

It will be seen that the cords 20 are so proportioned in length as toadapt them to support the drier frame, that is mainly composed of theradial arms 18, and their central support in a horizontal plane, so thatwhen this frame is lowered to a convenient point, clothing or othergoods to be dried may be placed on the arms 18. Al'ter the goods thatare to be aired or dried have been hung on the arms 1S, the draft iope20 is pulled upon, which will correspondingly elevate the drier frameand i fabric hung thereon, thus transferring the drier and goods to apoint near the ceiling A, which will expose the damp material to theheat that rises to the upper portion of a room, facilitating the dryingof the same, it being understood that the rope 20fL is secured upon anysuitable projection on the side wall for retention of the diying framein an elevated position.

When the drier device is not needed for use and is to be removed fromits suspended position, the several parts may be readily folded togetherin a compact bundle and can be stowed away without taking up much space.

It is claimed for the improvement that it may be maintained in anelevated position in a room, or on a porch under cover, avoidinginterference with the free movement of persons in the room, and be readyfor service at any time by lowering the frame and subsequently raisingthe same.

The improved drier is available for the support of laundried clothing orother household linen or the like, when, owing to inclemency of theweather, it is not possible to hang washed goods out in the open air;and it is manifestly of equal advantage as a support for airing anddrying freshly ironed fabric, or such as has become damp from any othercanse.

Having thus described my invention, claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. In a clothes-drier of' the character described, thedrier i'rame comprisingl a central hub, a lower clamping plate thereon,an upper clamping plate, a radial flange on the hub on which theclamping plates are imposed, a pluralitxv ci clamping bolts holding' theplates clamped on said radial flange, a peripheral iiange concentricwith the hub and depending' from the edge of the upper clamping, plaie.said peripheral flange havingr a plurality of' spaced openings therein`:in equal number of iabric-supporting arms inserted in said openings inda dependingl concentric fiange on the upper clamping plaie, which entersa notch in each of' said arms, the arms being held by the last namedflange from'displacement longitudinally when the saine are clampedbetween the plates.

2. ln a clothes drier, the combination with a hub having an enlargedlower end. radial arms secured to the enlarged lower end of the hub,right angled bars on the upper end of the hub, said bars resting oneupon the other, and a bolt passed through the hub and said bars.

5.. In a clothes drier, the combination of a block having' groovesarranged at right angles to each other, one groove beingl doublethedepth of the other, hanger bars arranged in the grooves of the block,and a threaded hanger bolt passed through the block and bars andprojecting beyond the said bars to adapt it to be screwed into a wall orceiling.

ln testimoniv whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence oi' two subscribingl witnesses.

E RNNST ARTHUR THORNTON.

Witnesses z F. G. IAIDUN, C. A. Sii'rmf..

